Railway train including emergency braking apparatus

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for emergency braking of a railway train in which the brakes of all wagons are controlled by the pressure in a common train pipe. The apparatus includes in each wagon at least one branch pipe connected to the train pipe and so located adjacent a wheel of the wagon as to be engaged and fractured by the wheel if the latter shifts abnormally in relation to the body of the wagon, thereby altering the pressure in the train pipe and applying the brakes throughout the train. The apparatus is particularly intended for mine trains.

United States Patent 1 [111 3,881,672

Gittard 1 May 6, 1975 RAILWAY TRAIN INCLUDING 788,744 5/1905 Wright 246/172 EMERGENCY BRAKING APPARATUS 851,464 4/1907 Williams 246/172 [7 5] Inventor: Roland Gittard, Nouadhibou,

Mauritania Primary Examiner-M. Henson Wood, Jr. Assistant ExaminerRichard A. Bertsch Asslgneei Sllclete Anonyme Mlnes f Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Anthony A. OBrien de Mauritania, Fderlk, Mauritania [22] Flled: Jan. 14, 1974 ABSTRACT 2l A l. N 433 230 1 pp 0 An apparatus for emergency braking of a railway train in which the brakes of all wagons are controlled by the [30] F0leign Application Pri ri y Data pressure in a common train pipe. The apparatus in- Nov. 28, 1973 Malagasy Republic 55071 eludes in h w g n at least one branch pipe connected to the train pipe and so located adjacent a [52] U.S. C1 246/172; 105/217 wheel of the wagon as to be engaged and fractured by [51] Int. Cl B611 3/00 the wheel if h l r shif n rm lly in r l i n t [58] Field of Search 105/404, 216, 217; h y f h w g n, ther by altering the pressure in 246/171, 172, 199 the train pipe and applying the brakes throughout the train. [56] References Cited The apparatus is particularly intended for mine trains.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 752,012 2 1904 Vance et al 246/172 9 Chums 4 D'awmg F'gures PATENTEBHAY 6W5 SHEEI EGF 2 RAILWAY TRAIN INCLUDING EMERGENCY BRAKING APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to apparatus for emergency braking of a railway train, in particular of a mine train, in the event of derailment of a car or wagon of the train.

Various means have hitherto been employed to give prior warning of derailments in railway working: apparatus for checking the state of the line and the rails, apparatus for detecting the temperature of axle boxes, etc.; however, the only safety device stopping the trains when derailment has taken place consists of the breakage of the conduits or couplings of the automatic brake. However, this breakage does not always happen quickly and sometimes does not happen at all, so that the derailment may not be detected and stopped rapidly and its consequences are therefore considerably aggravated.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simple apparatus for detecting derailment of a wagon in particular in a mine train of considerable length, and causing the immediate actuation of the automatic brake.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention apparatus for emergency braking of a railway train in which the brakes are controlled by the pressure in a common manifold, referred to as a train pipe, includes at least one branch pipe connected to the train pipe and so located adjacent a wheel of a wagon as to be engaged and fractured by the wheel if the latter shifts abnormally in relation to the body of the wagon, thereby altering the pressure in the train pipe and applying the brakes throughout the train.

In one form of the invention the apparatus includes a branch pipe situated above the wheel so that upward movement of the wheel, e.g. due to a broken bearing, will cause the wheel to fracture it. Alternatively or in addition it may include at least one branch pipe horizontally spaced from the rim of a wheel inwardly towards the companion wheel, so that movement of the wheel in that direction, for example due to derailment, will fracture it. Thus it may include a branch pipe extending transversely across the wagon above the axle so as to be capable of being fractured by either wheel.

The horizontal branch pipe may be above the floor of the wagon which has in it apertures through which a wheel can project to fracture the branch without damaging the floor.

In a preferred arrangement two vertical branch pipes depend from a transverse branch pipe, one adjacent each of the wheels of the axle.

In the course of numerous derailments of cars of very long mine trains, it has been observed that, for an axle which has been derailed, abnormal relative displacements take place between the body and the wheels in the vertical and horizontal planes. This may occur vertically, the upper portion of the wheel-flange approaching the body to the extent of cutting into the floor, or it may occur horizontally; the inner face of at least one wheel per bogie moving towards the centre of the car.

This has been noted for all the cars which have left the rails and travelled a certain distance before being stopped or causing a more extensive derailment causing the train to stop.

It will be recalled that the braking system of each car includes a compressed air tank and a brake cylinder connected by a distributor. This distributor is also connected to the common manifold or train-pipe which extends the whole length of the train. When the air pressure in this pipe decreases, the distributor places in communication the tank and the brake cylinder, thus applying the brake.

The present invention takes advantage of the abnormal relative displacements between car wheels and chassis which occur in the event of derailment, to connect the trainpipe with the atmosphere and thus cause stoppage of the train.

The invention may be put into practice in various ways, but one specific embodiment will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The wagon shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1 has a horizontal branch pipe 1 extending transversely across the wagon above the axle, and connected to the usual common manifold or train pipe 2. A pressure of air is normally maintained in the latter, and when this is reduced to atmospheric, the brakes all along the train are applied.

The level of the branch pipe 1 will depend upon the vertical clearance between the wheel and the wagon when the latter is unloaded, and the variation of this clearance depending on the characteristics of the suspension and working conditions. Thus in certain circumstances the branch pipe 1 may be at or below the floor of the wagon, but in the arrangement shown it is above the floor 5 which has in it an aperture 7 above each wheel 4 so that under abnormal conditions the wheel can project up through the aperture and fracture the branch pipe.

Each horizontal branch pipe 1 is fitted with a cock (not shown) so that it can be put out of action after damage has occurred and thus permit at least partial movement of the wagon and train.

Depending from the horizontal transverse branch pipe 1 are a pair of vertical branch pipes 3, one adjacent the upper edge of each wheel and displaced from it inwardly, that is to say towards the companion wheel, at a distance of approximately 6 cms. from the inner vertical plane of the wheel. The vertical branch pipe is provided with a weakened section 6 at which fracture will occur.

Thus in operation, if, for example, a journal should break, the effect will be that the corresponding wheel rises abnormally in relation to the chassis, and, as shown in FIG. 4, the uppermost point of the wheel will project through the aperture 7 into contact with the horizontal transverse branch pipe 1 and fracture it. Accordingly, the pressure in the branch pipe, and therefore throughout the train pipe, will fall to atmospheric and the brakes will be immediately applied throughout the train.

Equally, if a derailment should occur, causing a wheel to shift horizontally as shown in FIG. 3, the inner vertical face of one wheel or the other on the axle will come into contact with the vertical branch pipe 3 and fracture it, thereby again reducing the pressure in the branch pipe and therefore in the train pipe, and immediately applying the brakes throughout the train.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment specifically described as many modifications may be made. Thus the number and positions of vertical branch pipes 3 adjacent to wheels 4 may be varied.

The apparatus in accordance with the invention is very inexpensive; in fact it enables a yard of one thousand cars to be equipped for the purchase price of a single conventional hot-box detector. Moreover, it is applicable to any type of car.

This apparatus is applicable as a whole and without modification, other than optionally increasing the section of the branch pipes, to trains fitted with vacuum braking systems, in which the train pipe is connected to a vacuum tank.

What is claimed is: 1. in an apparatus for braking a railway train having at least one wagon, a body of the wagon including a floor, a pair of wheels, an axle extending between and connected to the pair of wheels, a common train pipe and the wagon having a brake controlled by the pressure in the train pipe, the improvement comprising at least one branch pipe connected to said train pipe and so located adjacent a wheel of said wagon as to be engaged and fractured by the wheel if the latter shifts abnormally in relation to the body of said wagon, thereby altering the pressure in said train pipe applying said brakes throughout the train,

the one branch pipe being situated above a wheel so that upward movement of the wheel will cause the wheel to fracture it,

the one branch pipe extending transversely across the wagon above the axle so as to be capable of being fractured by either one of the pair of wheels, and the one branch pipe being above the floor of the wagon, the floor having apertures through which a wheel can project to fracture the one branch pipe without damaging the floor.

2. An apparatus for braking a railway train including at least one wagon having a wheel, an axle connected to the wheel, a common train pipe and the wagon having a brake controlled by the pressure in the train pipe, the improvement comprising at least one branch pipe connected to said train pipe,

the one branch pipe being disposed above and spaced from the wheel so as to be engaged and fractured by the wheel upon movement of the wheel relative to said wagon and in a direction toward and into engagement with the one branch pipe.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said wheel has a rim, another branch pipe connected to the one branch pipe, and the other branch pipe being horizontally spaced from the rim of said wheel inwardly towards its companion wheel so that inward movement of the wheel will fracture the other branch pipe.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein a pair of wheels is connected to the axle, and the one branch pipe extends transversely across the wagon above the axle so as to be capable of being fractured by either wheel.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 in which two vertical branch pipes depend from the one branch pipe, a pair of wheels being connected to said axle, and each vertical branch pipe being adjacent its respective one of the wheels of the axle.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 in which at least one of said vertical branch pipes has a weakened section at which fracture will occur.

7. Appatatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein a screwed connection is arranged between the one branch pipe and one of the vertical branch pipes to facilitate replacement.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 in which said one branch pipe is connected to the train pipe through a screwed connection to facilitate replacement.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said wagon has a floor disposed and spaced above the wheel, said one branch pipe being disposed above the floor; and the floor has an aperture to receive the wheel so as to engage and fracture said one pipe upon projection of the wheel through the aperture. 

1. In an apparatus for braking a railway train having at least one wagon, a body of the wagon including a floor, a pair of wheels, an axle extending between and connected to the pair of wheels, a common train pipe and the wagon having a brake controlled by the pressure in the train pipe, the improvement comprising at least one branch pipe connected to said train pipe and so located adjacent a wheel of said wagon as to be engaged and fractured by the wheel if the latter shifts abnormally in relation to the body of said wagon, thereby altering the pressure in said train pipe applying said brakes throughout the train, the one branch pipe being situated above a wheel so that upward movement of the wheel will cause the wheel to fracture it, the one branch pipe extending transversely across the wagon above the axle so as to be capable of being fractured by either one of the pair of wheels, and the one branch pipe being above the floor of the wagon, the floor having apertures through which a wheel can project to fracture the one branch pipe without damaging the floor.
 2. An apparatus for braking a railway train including at least one wagon having a wheel, an axle connected to the wheel, a common train pipe and the wagon having a brake controlled by the pressure in the train pipe, the improvement comprising at least one branch pipe connected to said train pipe, the one branch pipe being disposed above and spaced from the wheel so as to be engaged and fractured by the wheel upon movement of the wheel relative to said wagon and in a direction toward and into engagement with the one branch pipe.
 3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said wheel has a rim, another branch pipe connected to the one branch pipe, and the other branch pipe being horizontally spaced from the rim of said wheel inwardly towards its companion wheel so that inward movement of the wheel will fracture the other branch pipe.
 4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein a pair of wheels is connected to the axle, and the one branch pipe extends transversely across the wagon above the axle so as to be capable of being fractured by either wheel.
 5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 in which two vertical branch pipes depend from the one branch pipe, a pair of wheels being connected to said axle, and each vertical branch pipe being adjacent its respective one of the wheels of the axle.
 6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 in which at least one of said vertical branch pipes has a weakened section at which fracture will occur.
 7. Appatatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein a screwed connection is arranged between the one branch pipe and one of the vertical branch pipes to facilitate replacement.
 8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 in which said one branch pipe is connected to the train pipe through a screwed connection to facilitate replacement.
 9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said wagon has a floor disposed and spaced above the wheel, said one branch pipe being disposed above the floor; and the floor has an aperture to receive the wheel so as to engage and fracture said one pipe upon projection of the wheel through the aperture. 